TheContest

The Förderstiftung Musik Zürich supports young musicians in further developing their artistic personality. The Contest creates a platform for stage experience, professional feedback, and new perspectives. No rankings or prize placements are deliberately published.

The Contest process consists of three phases: Preselection, Audition, and Final. Each phase has its own goal and accompanies participants on their artistic journey.

Registration takes place online. You must submit the documents required by the regulations (video, program, biography, photo and other documents). Based on these documents, the jury decides on invitations to the audition.

The invited musicians present their program live in front of the jury. Afterward, all participants receive personal feedback as well as a certificate with an individual jury assessment. Based on this, the jury decides on invitations to the final.

In the final, the invited musicians present their program in front of an audience and the jury. Here too, all participants receive personal feedback and a certificate with an individual jury assessment. The jury may recommend individual musicians for further support programs.

Entries are possible in the disciplines Solo, Chamber Music, Vocal Ensemble, Composition, and Open. Music from all eras as well as contemporary and innovative projects are welcome. Further information can be found in the regulations (point 6).

During the Auditions and Final phases, the following instruments may be made available to participants: grand piano, harpsichord, percussion, vibraphone, marimba, and organ.

Participants must register their need for the aforementioned instruments no later than 30 days before the date of the Auditions or the Final. Förderstiftung Musik Zürich reserves the right to decline requests for instruments.

Additional instruments must be brought by participants themselves, at their own risk. Bringing instruments must not disrupt the smooth running of the event.

Participants are liable for any damage they cause to instruments provided to them. Preparing pianos (tampering with the mechanism) is not permitted.

Förderstiftung Musik Zürich is not liable for damage to instruments that participants bring themselves.

These provisions correspond to Section 7 of the official regulations. Requests for instruments submitted too late may be declined.

Eligible to participate are children and young people, as well as students in pre-professional training, within the age categories defined in the regulations. A prerequisite is residence in the Canton of Zurich or instruction with a teacher or institution in the Canton of Zurich.

• a. Children and young people (age: 7–16 years), and
• b. Pre-professional level: PreCollege and Bachelor's students at a music school or music university (age: 16–24 years)

The schedule (registration deadline, audition, and final dates) is published in good time on our website. Changes to the schedule remain reserved.

Registration for The Contest is done exclusively via the website (creation of an online account required).

For registration, the information and documents published on the website must be uploaded via the registration portal, in particular:

• Valid copy of an official ID of the participant
• Indication of the discipline
• A short written biography with program description (for Open: explanation of the project – max. one A4 page for soloists and max. two A4 pages for ensembles).
• Smartphone video (in accordance with the requirements published on the website). The video must be meaningful and expressive.
• Recent color photo in high resolution (at least 300 dpi)
• Sheet music of the program (for composers: score of the composition; for Open: sheet music if available)
• Names of any accompanists

By registering, participants or their legal guardians accept the provisions of these regulations (effective as of 18.5.2026). In the event of a violation of these regulations, participants may be excluded from The Contest.

The Förderstiftung Musik Zürich charges participants a registration fee. The registration fee covers part of the administrative costs of The Contest and helps ensure that only serious registrations are submitted.

The registration fee is:

• Soloists: CHF 80.00
• Ensembles: CHF 50.00 per member

In principle, there is no entitlement to a refund of the registration fee. In exceptional cases (e.g. inability to participate in The Contest due to illness or financial hardship), the artistic office may, at its own discretion, waive the registration fee in whole or in part, or refund it.

Participants are free to present the same program in the preliminary selection, audition, and final, or to change it.

The jury consists of five members, recognized figures from the Swiss and international music scene. The jury is appointed by the board of trustees of the Förderstiftung Musik Zürich at the request of ZYC's artistic supervision. Its membership may change during the course of a given The Contest edition.

The jury's deliberations are not public, and the jury's decisions are final.

The jury evaluates the performances at its own discretion, in accordance with the guidelines of the Jury Code, comprehensively assessing instrumental skill, musical ability, musicality, stage presence, and expressive and communicative ability.

The jury makes its assessment taking into account each participant's individual stage of development; an age-related advantage should not carry weight. The jury evaluates each performance in relation to the chosen piece, meaning the focus is not on comparison but on the unfolding of potential.

All contributions are heard and evaluated by the jury with the same openness, the same criteria, and within the same framework. The goal is to make the diversity of musical expression visible and to showcase individual strengths with appreciation.

Recording live events as part of Zurich Youth Classical is reserved exclusively for Förderstiftung Musik Zürich and third parties commissioned by it. All image and audio rights belong to Förderstiftung Musik Zürich. Participants and visitors are prohibited from making audio, photo, or video recordings of live events.

By registering for The Contest, participants (or, in the case of minors, their legal guardians) grant Förderstiftung Musik Zürich the right to make, process, and edit photo, audio, and video recordings that show or make audible, depict, or reproduce the participants or their performances as part of Zurich Youth Classical.

The usage rights granted are free of charge, unlimited in time, and irrevocable, and include in particular the right to use the participants' photo, audio, and video recordings online (e.g., the internet), offline (e.g., print, audio and video media), and in other media (e.g., radio) for the purposes of

• conducting Zurich Youth Classical
• the non-commercial promotion of Zurich Youth Classical,
• internal and external communication by Förderstiftung Musik Zürich
• internal and external documentation by Förderstiftung Musik Zürich
• press, media, and public relations work

to publish, reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, and make publicly available. These usage rights also extend to third parties engaged by Förderstiftung Musik Zürich to fulfill the aforementioned purposes, as well as to official partners of Zurich Youth Classical, in particular media partners.

The processing of personal data is required for the planning and execution of Zurich Youth Classical.

Participants are aware, and by registering for The Contest they consent, that their personal data (such as name, date of birth, place of residence, places of music education, details from the submitted biography, photographs of themselves) may be processed by Förderstiftung Musik Zürich. This processing may also include the publication of personal data on the ZYC website (such as, for example, the announcement of prize winners with images). This processing is carried out specifically for the purposes of

• conducting Zurich Youth Classical
• the non-commercial promotion of Zurich Youth Classical,
• internal and external communication by Förderstiftung Musik Zürich
• internal and external documentation by Förderstiftung Musik Zürich
• press, media, and public relations work

Data processing is governed by the provisions of the Data Protection Act and, where applicable, other relevant legal regulations. In all other respects, the provisions of the Privacy Policy on the website apply.

You can download the guidelines, some helpful tips, and a checklist for the video application here.

All visual impressions can be viewed and downloaded in our gallery.